Resilience
by NaturalCamouflage
Summary: It'd been a long two years and the damage has been done. How will they recover? Sequel to Silver Lining, will touch on a few of the other Marvel movies and the comics. Image by freeimages.
1. Chapter 1 Prologue

"Dr. Sterns, the supplies you requested are being unloaded." I announced upon entry of the lab.

"Very good. Thank you, Dawn." The blonde scientist turned away from his work to address me, my open sketch book in hand. "I wanted to talk to you about some of your more recent drawings actually. I'm a little concerned about the latest sketches. It's probably some time for a little up keeping, don't you think?"

A knot began to form in the pit of my stomach, but I wouldn't let it show, "Of course." I turned to follow Eric, my trainer, down the hall. "What did I do?" Once I was out of earshot, I voiced my thoughts. Dr. Sterns was my mentor, though sometimes I just didn't understand his motives. He was ranked highly here in Hydra. He was a busy man, but the lack of explanation was baffling at times.

Eric sighed, reaching up to fiddle with the holes in his ears, "You know he has your best interest in mind. Everyone here needs to be in top mental and physical shape if we are going to be successful in changing this world."

That wasn't really an answer to my question, but I accepted it as we neared the procedure room. I drew a shaky breath as I was ushered over towards the examination table, briefly glancing to the doctor preparing the equipment before looking away. I wouldn't remember the pain all that well when it was over, but the thought was of little comfort. It was always fuzzy afterwards, I'm certain there were some side effects, but I was doing this for the greater good. I was doing this to help save the world.

* * *

><p>Bruce frowned at the screen before him, the results revealed another failure in his work. Over the past year he'd resumed the search for a cure for himself despite Tony's disapproval and was no closer to an answer. He decided to call it a night, dejectedly returning to his room among the upper floors of the building<p>

The frame standing on the bedside table was still the same, the contents a picture he'd taken with Rachel almost two years ago. It would be a lie to say that her death wasn't the spark to reignite his will to be rid of the Hulk and for that reason Tony declared that he was on his own. The billionaire believed his outlook wasn't what should have been taken away from the situation, but how could he know? He'd claimed that Bruce's renewed interest was coming from a place of self loathing and maybe that was true, but was it really all that bad of a thing? He was going to find a solution one way or another.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry this is so short my brain wasn't working when I was trying to introduce this story. I guess this is more of a prologue than anything. My updates will hopefully be quick, but I still want to actually plan a little rather than write as I go like I did before. Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. This is a sequel to Silver Lining, so if you haven't read it, please check it out. Obviously I don't own any of the Marvel characters or the moviescomics. This is just a fan fiction.**


	2. Chapter 2

I watched seemingly unfazed as the man in a pristine lab coat fell to the floor unconscious, his small knife clattering uselessly beside him. "We should go."

"You're soft, Dawn." Eric hissed, snatching the flash drive from the computer he'd accessed.

"He was just unfortunate in his timing." I followed swiftly with a small bag of supplies slung carelessly over my shoulder.

We exited the lab and rounded a corner, "He pulled a knife. You should have taken him out for good."

"It wasn't a real threat."

"That's not your call." He stopped abruptly, spinning on his heels to come face to face with me. The ice in his stare was enough to give anyone pause. There was no room to argue my point and this certainly wasn't the place.

"Understood." My reply was clipped, but sufficient and we were able to exit the facility unscathed having deployed three other teams for surveillance, security, and clean up.

Training, on the other hand, was another story. There was a lesson to be learned somewhere in the exceptionally tough match that day. I was pretty sure the implicit take away was either that I was too weak or that I shouldn't undermine Eric. Whichever one he was trying to get across, I got it.

"I'm done. Really, I can't do this." I gasped, pushing myself to my feet. After going through our training and a few rounds of sparring, I was in pain and exhausted. As my trainer he'd been given doses of the modified super soldier serum as well and in doing so assured that at least for years to come he would be stronger and more skilled, leaving me with much to learn.

Before I could put up a decent fight, my arm was twisted painfully just as I was lifted and thrown to the ground. "We're not done yet. Get up."

I couldn't breathe. All of the air in my lungs left me when I hit the floor, unable to break the fall properly. I heard him sigh in annoyance.

"Don't tell me that Dr. Sterns' work is a waste of time. Get up."

Gritting my teeth I rolled onto my side, wrapping my ankles around his and twisting my legs so that he was brought down to my level. I was upright and over him in a flash, my fist connecting with his bicep as he reached for me. By his expression I could tell I'd hit my mark, the bundle of nerves that momentarily stunned the arm, but my victory was short lived with his other hand shooting up to catch my face, fingertips digging in for leverage as he attempted to regain control.

Clenching my jaw once again, I fought against the pain and dug my own thumb into the underside of his wrist into another bundle of nerves. "Nice try." He managed through his teeth. With the remaining strength in his arm and a leg he quickly wedged between us he flipped us over.

Hastily using my forearms to guard my head I blocked the elbow he brought down followed in quick succession by his fist. It wasn't enough. This wasn't simply training, it was a lesson too. Roughly grabbing me by my shirt, he lifted my torso and slammed me back to the ground, effectively breaking my guard as my arms unraveled in an attempt to ease the fall. Taking advantage of the opening he landed two quick punches before stopping himself and backing away.

"Now we're done." He announced when I didn't move. "Can you get up?" He watched while I gathered myself.

I nodded, regretting it immediately as my head throbbed painfully. Still he waited until I stood on my own as proof before nodding in approval and taking his leave. When he was gone I released a breath I didn't know I'd been holding. He wasn't always so tough on me, but every now and then there were days like this. I suppose in the long run it'd be worth it for myself and the ones I protect. As always, there would be more to learn, but for now at least this part of my day was over.

There was a knock at my door later in the evening. From my spot at the desk in the small room, I called for the person on the other side to enter. I'd been drawing in my sketchbook for the last few hours, lightly outlining the archway of trees that had been on my mind. There was a space left between them having yet to be filled with a road or stream to cut through the foliage, but for some reason neither would quite complete the partially formed picture in my mind.

"Hello, Dawn." I wasn't surprised to hear the scientist's voice. My room was only two floors away in this base.

"Good evening, Dr. Sterns." I returned the greeting, sparing one last glance at the incomplete sketch, eyes lingering on the ragged edges of a page that had been ripped out before giving my attention to my visitor.

His smile shifted to an expression more closely resembling sympathy as he stepped closer and extended his arm with an offering of an ice pack. "Eric was concerned with your performance earlier. I assumed training would have been a bit tougher today so I thought I'd stop by and check in on you."

"Thank you. I'm fine, really. It looks worse than it feels." I took the ice pack and applied it to the bruise over my cheek.

The smile returned and he nodded, "Yes, well you should be feeling better pretty soon anyway. I think the stress must be getting to everyone with all of the big changes coming soon. He just wants to make sure you're prepared."

"Don't worry. I'm willing to do everything I can to change this world." I frowned a little at the thought. I don't remember the exact events that brought me here, but when I woke up I was very sick. I'd been poisoned by S.H.I.E.L.D, an organization set on letting the world fall into chaos. Dr. Sterns saved me. He helped me become stronger. He was there when bits of my memory started to come back, some of it painful and other pieces fuzzy and confusing. He'd said that with the state I'd been in, beaten, poisoned, and who knows what else, that I would be lucky to recover my memories. The world as I understood was not a kind place, leaving me with scars as proof in case I needed more convincing. Despite my occasional defects, he's been there for me and for that, I'd help him change this world for the better.

"Soon." He grinned, "First, I'd like to meet with a nuclear physicist I know of. I'd like his input on my research so far. From what I understand he's had a major success in regards to superhuman strength and regeneration, but has been unable to continue testing."

"I can see why you'd like to talk to him then. Your own improvements on the super soldier serum have been remarkable. A new perspective and helping hand could unlock new possibilities entirely."

"Exactly. I'll let you know more about it when the time comes, but for now I'll still need you to train hard." He retreated towards the door, "You need to trust that Eric and I know what we're doing so that things go smoothly, alright?"

I nodded, determined to do my part, "I understand."

"I'll send down a file on Dr. Banner soon. If he's the type to need proof before jumping on board, I'd like for you to be the one he meets."

"What about Eric or any of the others?"

He paused with his hand on the door, "I'll give it more thought, but for now you are an important part in this."

The file Dr. Sterns promised was without a doubt full of interesting details on this Dr. Banner. Despite the rough start and orphaning at a young age, he'd been able to transform his life completely. He was a highly accomplished physicist, graduating at the top of his class and moving on to work for the military on what seemed to be another version of a super soldier serum. Unfortunately for him, there was an accident involving gamma radiation, but he'd somehow managed to survive. With the flip of a page I found out this man was the Hulk.

Hunching over slightly, I observed the picture more closely. "Somehow, Dr. Banner, you don't strike me as the monster type." I murmured to myself. "Running away and working as a medical doctor? Let's hope you're still interested helping people."

I stayed that way for a while, reading and rereading the pages in front of me until in the end I felt I'd absorbed all I could from the pieces of paper. The more I gleaned from the text and photographs, the more they protruded into my thoughts. I felt like I was missing something, but what could it have been with his life summarized and printed before me? Perhaps my day had been rougher than I thought and I simply needed rest. I'd sleep on it and come back to it later.


	3. Chapter 3

_"It sure is coming down out there."_

_ I nodded, completely at ease with my warm mug of hot chocolate clasped in both hands as I watched the rain continue to fall in heavy sheets. "Good thing we made it back in time."_

_ He made a quiet noise in agreement, broken when I heard him sip from his own drink. "We'll have to visit that area again soon."_

_ There was a flash of lightning followed closely by the crackle of thunder and then the continuous stream of rain. "I'd like that." I closed my eyes, listening to the storm outside and then to the quiet breathing, slow and steady beside me._

"Dawn." I was abruptly pulled from my daydream by Eric as he called my name loudly.

Sitting up straighter, I turned to face him as he stood in the doorway leaving the dining area. "Sorry, I was just thinking." I quickly gulped down the remaining hot chocolate from my cup and placed it on the tray, picking it all up as I stood.

"Hurry up. We're going over a few new weapons today and then you'll be up in the lab." And with that he was gone, leaving me to catch up to him.

Admittedly I was distracted that morning, but I learned it was more of an annoyance for Eric who would by no means hold back during training. By lunch he'd decided to switch tactics and actually sit down for a little chat. "What's going on? I can tell when you're actually trying and putting your all into training and that wasn't it."

I narrowed my eyes, pausing to see if he was serious. It was rare that he didn't just tell me to suck it up and keep moving. There was never sympathy in those eyes, but once in a blue moon I saw a slightly less rigid side to him. "I didn't sleep much. It's nothing new." Slowly I found the words, wondering what he could possibly want to know. As far as I knew, I was the person he was tasked to train and go on the occasional mission with that was the extent of our relationship. We weren't friends no matter how you looked at it, but there was a level of trust as far as missions were concerned. Beyond that I'm sure it didn't matter in the slightest if I were around as far as he was concerned.

"If it's not new, why is today different?" His eyebrows weren't knit together in frustration and he wasn't fiddling with the small gauges in his ears. I think this is one of the few times, while regarding me anyway, that his face didn't resemble strictly business or was completely emotionless.

"Don't you ever have an off day?"

"I know how to keep things from affecting my work."

"Yeah, I gathered that much."

"To do that, I have to get a grip on things and remember that my work here is important and I can't afford to be distracted. You can't be distracted either."

"It's just, I know it's been two years since this all started for me, but everything is still fuzzy in a way. I keep getting these little bits and pieces of memories or dreams and I can't even remember who's there with me." He was listening; I suppose it was a good sign that he didn't dismiss me already, "I feel like I'll never remember things clearly from before. There's this nagging feeling that I'm missing something, but I don't even know what it is or what to do."

"You know who you are now."

It wasn't enough. What I'd become over the span of two years wasn't even close to being enough. I cared about the goal we stood for, the want for a better existence for all, but I was far from complete beyond that. "You were there in the beginning with Dr. Sterns. Do you know anything about me from before?" I'd asked many times before, but I'd never gotten a clear answer from either of them. All they told me was that the world had been tough on me and that I'd gotten too close to some information that almost cost me my life that was about it.

"No." He frowned, sitting back as he prepared to leave it at that.

"I don't believe you." He sighed, but I continued, "Please."

"We've told you anything that could be useful."

"So there's more then?"

"No." He was on his feet, "Eat something before you go up to the lab."

I jumped up, trailing closely, "Look, I know you don't like me, but I'm only asking for this one thing. I'm here to help, that much I know, but I just feel like-"

"Whatever it is that's bothering you is irrelevant to what we're trying to do here. There's no room for you to keep dragging this out. You're going to have to accept that." Just like that I'd hit a dead end with him. "Do you know why Project Insight failed? It failed because he was weak and doubted our mission. You can't do that. All of these distractions can't be your priority." On that note, he was gone.

Project Insight failed? This was the first I'd heard of it, but it made sense with the stress he and Dr. Sterns had been under recently. Despite his words, he'd unknowingly just added fuel to the fire. I couldn't think of anything else now.

* * *

><p>"Be careful out there. We're not sure who was actually SHIELD or Hydra yet." Steve cautioned from his position in a hospital bed.<p>

"Yeah. Just get well soon Cap. We'll be down to visit soon." Tony ended the video call, the screen abruptly closing to reveal a crystal clear window once more. "I'm going to fly down to D.C in the morning. Do you want to tag along or do you want to wait for things to settle down a little?"

Bruce sighed, with the falling of SHIELD all of their intelligence had been released to the internet, his identity included. "No, I want to go too."

The billionaire nodded, "I'll have Happy put together a security team to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. The world's just going to have to get used to it. I mean it's not like you helped save everyone from an alien invasion or anything." He smirked, attempting to reassure his friend.

"Fingers crossed." Bruce made his way to the elevator to turn in for the night. "Goodnight, Tony."

"Night, Big Guy."

He made it to the room, going through his nightly routine, but something besides the obvious was preventing him from relaxing as much as he thought he'd at least be able to come close to. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, Dr. Banner?"

"I need a favor. Will you look up where Rachel was buried? It'll probably be in a SHIELD file."

"One moment."

If SHIELD had been compromised from the start, there could be a lot that had yet to come to light. Just how much didn't they know? What had been covered up for years?

"I'm sorry; I couldn't find anything in regards to where Ms. Brooke was buried."

"Can you find her parents?" He frowned; there was a sinking feeling that this fleeting thought could actually be a reality.

"The mother, Catherine Brooke, is deceased. The father, Benjamin Brook, is currently living in Maine." There was a dim blue glow illuminating the otherwise dark room as the information was displayed for Bruce.

The question was burning in his thoughts now. He'd been told—when he'd returned the next day—that Rachel's body had been sent back to her relatives to be buried. It was possible that she'd been cremated, but the absence of a least a little note on her file was enough to make him wonder. He reached for his phone and began to dial the number floating in front of him.

"Hello?" A gruff male voice was on the other line with a hint of annoyance.

Bruce pulled the phone away from his face to check the time and replaced it quickly, "I'm so sorry about my timing. Is this Mr. Brooke."

"It is, may I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Bruce; I was a friend of your daughter's. I was hoping to visit her, but I don't know where she was buried."

There was a long pause, "I think you have the wrong number. I was just emailing my daughter the other day."

"Oh. I'm very sorry for the mix up. Thank you."

"Good luck to you."

Bruce hung up, he felt like everything was closing in. "Jarvis, are you sure that was her father?"

"I'm positive, sir."

"Yeah…I was afraid you'd say that." He didn't know what to feel. She was alive, he should be happy, but where was she? What happened to her? He'd been there in the hospital with her when he'd heard the heart monitor stop. Was this a trick?

Who was writing emails to her father? Where had she really gone? What did this mean? She was alive, yes, but where would this go? Somehow he couldn't help but think something terrible happened and all because he wasn't able to stay and actually check on her. He'd been so close to losing control that he couldn't be there right after he thought she'd died, but now he wondered what the repercussions of that would be.


	4. Chapter 4

"Dr. Sterns, where are you in your work?"

"I'm ready to move forward, but I'd like more time working out the details." He paused in his typing, glancing up briefly before continuing at a steady pace.

"Do you mean, Dawn, doctor?" The man inquired. "I've been keeping an eye on her. She still has her flaws, doesn't she?" He observed, leaving the implication to hang in the air.

"If we're going to keep up with this schedule, we don't have time to clear her again. Some of the training sticks, but it takes a little while to relearn." Eric chimed in, tensing slightly in the new presence. "Fry her brain anymore and there will be nothing left."

"Indeed. I think we should try another approach. You've been coddling her too much, doctor."

"Hm? Your method worked so well in Project Insight, right? There _is_ a reason I was requested to work here, isn't there?" The blonde scientist didn't need to look up to know that his response was not well received, "Let me work."

"Project Insight was strong for years. Look at Eric and everyone else our methods have worked for. We need to act soon."

The trainer's gaze hardened at the mention of his name, but otherwise he showed no other sign of being disturbed, "Our usual methods could push her past her breaking point. She's already on edge."

"Has she rubbed off on you? Maybe you're not ready either."

"It was just a suggestion. I've worked with her more than anyone else."

"Good, then you can be the one to go get her."

The stillness in the room was amplified by the absence of typing once again as they waited for Eric's reply. "Yes, sir." Ultimately there was no choice, if it weren't him it'd be someone else. Perhaps it would even be one of the few who trained him and made him the obedient Hydra agent he was today. He turned on his heel and exited the room.

Resuming his work, Dr. Sterns made a noise of disapproval, "If you push her too far and things don't go as planned, you'll be lucky if he doesn't hunt you all down." He was of course referring to the Hulk, blinded by rage.

"Lucky we have you then."

* * *

><p>"Eric?" I was surprised to see him at my door.<p>

He pushed past me, "Close the door." Without pause he continued over to my desk, quickly pushing files and books aside until his hand landed on the one he wanted. He flipped through the sketchbook I kept, ripping out most of the pages.

"What are you doing?" I rushed forward.

"You have to stop with all of the distractions. Whatever you feel, whatever you _think_ you feel needs to end. The only thing that matters is the mission, nothing else." He was watching me intently, but there was something there that wasn't before. There was something I was supposed to be picking up that he wasn't saying, but I had almost nothing to go on.

"I can't help-"

"_I_ can't help _you_ unless you get with the program and quick."

It'd been weeks since Eric came barging into my room and now I get it. I was deemed unfit for the plan and needed to be brought up to standard. My entire body ached with each bruise reminding me of the lesson I had to learn. You see, emotions are messy and get in the way. They cause people to act irrationally. The only way to be successful and efficient was to suppress the unnecessary thoughts and emotions.

Fear is the main thing I feel now. Fear of feeling anything else. Fear of failing. Fear of letting those same scared feelings show because it was a sign of weakness. I understand now what he was trying to say. I trained harder and improved faster than ever until I was finally cleared for the next mission.

"How do you do this?" I breathed, pressing my hands into my lap to keep them from shaking. It was just the two of us on our way towards our last assignment before we were scheduled to go to New York. I was more nervous than I'd been on other runs because now I knew what would be waiting if we weren't successful.

His cool stare lingered on my fidgeting foot before meeting my gaze, "I've been here so long I don't feel much of anything anymore. It starts to make sense after a while."

"You're lying to yourself." I shook my head, "You tore out a bunch of my sketches. You and I both know I wouldn't be out here if you hadn't."

"Our next move to New York would have been delayed. Dr. Sterns still believes you will be useful." He tilted his head back to rest against the side of the van. We were already prepared so there was nothing to do but wait until we reached our destination.

I watched him for a moment, "I don't believe you." His breath caught ever so slightly before he decided to continue ignoring me.

There was a long silence and I thought the conversation was over until he decided to speak up, but just barely over the hum of the engine, "It's not important anymore."

"It is to me." I answered just as quietly.

He opened his eyes to look at me for a minute, "No, it's not." It was a correction. "I tried to cling to my former self. It's easier this way." He resumed his previous position with his head leaned back, "You'll do horrible things just to keep breathing…for the greater good…"

I stilled and waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. What sort of horrible things was he referring to? Did he mean the people who may have died so that Hydra had the chance to change things? Or did he mean the way Hydra demanded respect and order by using pain a tool. After all, they did say that pain is a great teacher for humans and order came through pain. The van slowed to a stop and we rose to our feet. My thoughts on the matter would have to wait until later.

As it turned out, the assignment we'd been on was a supply run. Dr. Sterns had one last thing in store for me, having me stay in the lab until it was complete. I watched as he worked, occasionally helping out when I could, but the majority of the project was beyond me considering that I was not exactly a scientist. A small smile crept onto his face as he filled a needle with a transparent orange solution.

"Dawn, this is it. This is why you are so important to the plan."

"Oh? And what is that exactly?"

"Just a little something to give us an edge. As the Hulk he only becomes stronger until finally able to calm down. If something—or in this case, someone—were to be able to absorb the radiation he gives off and use it to their benefit, neutralizing a threat of that magnitude becomes a bit easier. You see?" He stopped by my side, swiftly opening a cleansing pad packet and gesturing for me to roll up my sleeve.

I looked back into the dancing blue orbs before me, alight with excitement, "No trials?" Hesitantly, I obliged and pushed the fabric up to my shoulder.

His smile broadened, "Of course I've tested, why else do you think you've been on so many supply runs? The stuff wasn't easy to come by so you will be the first human this is actually given to."

"Why me?" I couldn't help but wonder, hissing as he took the moment to stick my arm and press down on the plunger. I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt, but compared to his modified super soldier serum, this wasn't as bad. It could have been that the first serum made this one more bearable, but I wasn't going to question why this didn't leave me writhing in pain.

He shook his head as he removed the needle and pressed a cotton ball to the puncture wound, "You think there are better candidates? Trust me, there aren't. I've picked you for a reason." Quickly he whirled around and stalked towards the opposite side of the room, accessing the secured section of the lab and returning with a small box that thudded too heavily when set down. "This material…" He opened the box and removed the glowing contents, "is radioactive. It gives off gamma radiation much like our friend."

"Dr. Sterns! Shouldn't you be handling that with some sort of equipment then?"

At that he lit up once more, "Dr. Banner isn't the only one running on radiation these days." Again he was standing before me, hand with the blue glow extended forward, "You'll be fine."

Exhaling a shaky breath, I relieved him of the metal. Curiously, we watched as the glow dimmed and was finally extinguished while it remained in my hand. "That's amazing. I feel great." I smiled. It was like electricity running through me, strengthening every muscle and setting my nerves ablaze as it sought a way out. I curled my fingers around the roughly cut chunk as I tried to hang on to the feeling, slowly holding out my hand to return the material and finding indents where my fingers had been.

"Impressive. It's just as I thought; you will become stronger around sources of radiation."

The feeling was short lived in the absence of the sample, "This is all just a precaution, right? In case things go south?"

"Of course." He assured, "This is all just to be safe."

"So what now?"

"Now, I arrange a meeting."

* * *

><p>"Sir, I'm afraid someone is attempting to gain access to Dr. Banner's research" Jarvis alerted the two in the lab.<p>

"Where are they attacking from?" Tony demanded.

"Which files?" Bruce asked simultaneously.

"I don't know, sir, but the majority of his work from the past year was deleted before I was able to detect them."

"Bring up any information you have on them." Tony was typing away furiously now.

After a tense moment the AI spoke again, "It appears to be over for now. They've left a message for you, Dr. Banner."


	5. Chapter 5

Bruce expected the strange emails and messages from people with all sorts of opinions about him, but this was different. There were maybe only a handful of people able to hack into the tower and remain undetected for as long as this person had done. This person, apparently the brother of the Dr. Sterns he'd met years ago wanted to meet with him. If it weren't for the implication that Dr. Sterns now possessed something he would be greatly interested in, he would have most likely ignored the message knowing nothing good could come from someone willing to go so far to get his attention. It was only because this man could have previously unreleased information on the Hulk that he went along with arranging a time and place with this person.

He was up in the mountains today, away from densely populated areas. There was an expectation of him being alone, but Tony was flying in a large circle out of sight, Clint was perched further uphill, Natasha was patrolling the area towards the West, and Steve was maybe a hundred yards in the opposite direction. "You sure do know how to make an impression." Bruce's voice was void of humor as the blonde approached.

"It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner." He stopped at a comfortable distance, offering a smile, "I've wanted to meet you for some time now."

"Stay sharp guys, he's got friends lurking around too. I'm picking up two heat signatures not too far back and another eight fanning out." Tony warned the group over their earpieces.

"What do you want?" Bruce wasn't in the mood for pleasantries, "If you're after the Hulk, it won't end well." The Other Guy stirred in anticipation, distrustful of the newcomer.

At that Dr. Sterns laughed, "Oh no, Dr. Banner, you've got it all wrong." He shook his head. "I'd like your assistance in a project I'm working on. I'm sorry about the way I went about getting the message through, but I figured with your secret being recently exposed you'd have too many messages to go through."

He didn't try to hide the deepening frown making its way across his face, "I'm not interested in taking up a new project."

"Don't be so quick to dismiss this, I promise you'll be interested once you let me explain." He began his story, "You see, you and I went to graduate school together. Of course, I don't expect you to remember, you were much higher up in the class than I was at the time, but I admired your work. I had similar ideas about gamma radiation and the super soldier serum."

Bruce remained rigid, the topic doing nothing at all to put him at ease. It reminded him so much of his accident and the sinking feeling only intensified as he stood rooted to the spot, listening.

"For a while, it was like you just disappeared from the scientific community. You sort of dropped off the face of the earth. I thought maybe you'd be working under some secret government contract, but I later found out from my brother what really happened. When you sent a sample of your blood and we looked at it, it was incredible. We thought if we could just replicate what was there, it'd bring a completely new twist to the super soldier experiments." He paused, smiling fondly at the memory, "I knew then what it was I wanted to become. What happened to you was just the beginning."

"What did you do?" It was just above a whisper, just barely making it through clenched teeth. Bruce could feel his heart rate pick up, thudding in his ears as he waited.

"Well I only had one sample to work with. I had so many ideas and then all of the samples my brother reproduced were destroyed, so I had to think more carefully about what I wanted. And when I saw you as the Hulk soon after, I knew I wanted that too. So I began testing on myself."

"You what?" He growled, pausing for a double take when he saw a telltale flash of brown across Dr. Stern's eyes.

"You're not the only one who has been altered by gamma radiation anymore. My work was a success." The blonde grinned, feeling quite accomplished.

"You have no idea what you've done. I've been trying for years to undo that mistake. Do you know what it's like to live in constant fear of hurting anyone you care about? Innocent people? Children?" His voice was strengthened with the need to get his point across. This wasn't a game.

"Dr. Banner, it wasn't a mistake. You and I both know that you and the Hulk are one. I saw your research. It's simple; one can't exist without the other. That's why all of your work has failed. You were meant to become this and if I dare say, you were meant to use your gift to further humanity. I need your help with this project."

"Stop-"

Dr. Sterns continued without pause, determined to be heard, "I've already been testing my own version of the super soldier serum. It's not quite as powerful as the original, but with a little gamma radiation and two great minds the possibilities are endless. We need you."

"Who is 'we'?" He knew the answer before he arrived that morning, but he needed to be sure.

"Hydra, doctor. This is a golden opportunity to help change the world."

"Right." Bruce scoffed, "Wasn't I on the Project Insight hit list a few weeks ago?"

"I'm sorry, that was years in the making. I didn't have the authority to call it off. I'm the one who suggested we talk now, though."

"How very kind." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of something other than how angry he was. It was beginning to cloud his mind, consuming other more coherent thoughts. He'd thought he'd be okay coming here, but there was just something horribly wrong hanging in the air.

"There's just one more thing. I brought along two examples of my work. If you could just see what they can do, I think you might change your mind about the project." With a small gesture, he was joined by two others.

It was like Bruce had forgotten how to breathe for a moment. The hair was different, her stance was guarded, there was a faint scar across her cheek, but it was her. Rachel was standing there only a few feet away.

* * *

><p>"Dr. Banner." Eric inclined his head in a sign of acknowledgement.<p>

"Dr. Sterns has told us nothing but good things about you." I nodded towards my mentor, offering a small smile.

"Rachel?" There was an air of disbelief in his tone.

He continued to stare directly at me as if he could see something everyone else couldn't. His attention shifted at the mention of the blonde and he eyed him more closely with his expression twisting as if conflicted. There was an odd mix of pain and anger painted across his features and had it been anyone else I might think they'd be close to some sort of emotional breakdown, but based on past research I knew this could be dangerous for everyone because of the rage constantly simmering under the surface.

"Please, doctor. I don't think you're really angry with us. Think of all the things people have put you through. We're trying to make the world better. We don't want you to be seen as an outcast or a weapon. If you work with Hydra, people will see the genius you are, not just the Hulk. The people you worked with, SHIELD and the others are only going to use you. With us, you would be one of the higher ranking members. You'd be treated with the respect you deserve." I was attempting to reason with him, treading carefully. From what I understood, anger seemed to be the kneejerk reaction to other unpleasant emotions that had yet to be processed. If I could just get him to see that maybe his anger wasn't with Dr. Sterns' work, but with his past treatment, he might listen before things had to get bad. My mission was to help take him down if he refused because he'd be a threat otherwise. He'd been through enough already; I just didn't want to see him get hurt.

Dr. Sterns took a step forward, "Just watch and see-"

"Two years…" Dr. Banner murmured like he was thinking out loud. He shot an accusatory glance between Eric and Dr. Sterns, "She doesn't know me anymore. What have you done?" He demanded. You could almost feel the anger rolling off of him as his entire frame shook.

"We saved her, made her stronger. I even added a little something special just for you." He shrugged nonchalantly, "It took a lot of work, you know. At first I questioned if it was worth it, but just wait until you see how well it worked out."

I remained still, but eyed my mentor quizzically. He was talking about me, but also answering Dr. Banner. Should I have known him beyond the file? Did Dr. Banner know something about me before I joined Hydra? I knew better than to openly question someone ranked so highly, so I held my tongue as the questions piled up.

"Sorry to interrupt this little get together-" Tony Stark made his presence known, headed our way.

Without so much as a glance, Dr, Sterns retrieved a small detonator from his pocket and with a flick of a switch Iron Man came crashing down not too far away and there was silence over my earpiece as it was fried. "You're not." He finished for the grounded billionaire, "Focused EMP, I knew sooner or later your friend would show up. Now as I was saying, this is a good thing. I didn't see the appeal at first. She was just so human, but she does grow on you. So I thought, 'make her stronger, a fighter, someone that goes beyond the limits of a normal human'."

A low growl escaped the man across from us and he fell to his knees under the weight of a much larger and angrier presence, green eyes locking with mine, "Leave!" He urged with another growl as his skin gained a greenish hue and he began to grow exponentially.

"You know what to do." Eric nodded towards Dr. Banner who appeared to be fighting against the transformation that had already begun before running off to the side and greeting Captain America's shield with a strong kick that sent the soldier back a few paces.

I'd only looked away for a split second, but when I turned my attention back to the two doctors, Dr. Sterns began to shake in the same way. My mentor grew quickly until he was a giant, skin a deep, solid red and brown eyes dancing with the expectation of a fight from his emerging rival. "You made the wrong choice, Banner." His voice thundered through his new form that was now big enough to take on the Hulk.

My head spun. Dr. Sterns only revealed his new form to us on the way to New York; otherwise it was considered top secret information in Hydra so far. The file containing the details had his name neatly printed on the label with the name Madman in parentheses just as the Hulk had been for Dr. Banner. Still, actually seeing the man turn into the red beast was another story. It really was that quick. In a split second, all hell broke loose.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Again, I only own the original characters. Dr. Sterns/Madman is a Marvel character too. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Thank you for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

The two giants lunged towards each other, intent on ripping their opponent apart. They exchanged powerful blows that made the ground quake under the force of their battle. "You're throwing it all away! You could have everything with Hydra." Madman's voice reverberated loudly off of the nearby trees.

Snarling, the Hulk answered with another fist, unaffected by the red giant's offer. I waited for my opening, quickly searching for a pattern or mistake so that I could get close enough to hopefully weaken the target and possibly subdue him. With ease I jumped into the nearest tree, catching a branch and swinging myself up. Finally I saw my chance to jump onto the Hulk as he continued to grapple with Madman, but just as I bent my knees to make the leap an arrow flew by and embedded itself into the tree trunk.

I turned my attention to the direction the arrow had come from, ignoring the burning sensation warming my upper arm. The archer was approaching, weaving his way through the heavily wooded area. "Can't let you do that." He called.

Hawkeye, one of SHIELD's former agents. He doesn't miss shots like that. It must have been a warning. "You wasted your shot." I moved forward, making it across the branches from tree to tree in order to get closer. From a distance I didn't stand a chance with his aim, but up close I could go toe to toe.

He had another arrow in his hand and I had to act, striking as I dropped down with my feet first. The arrow slipped from his grasp as he brought his arms up to shield his head at the last moment, giving me a surface to dismount and land ready to go. Despite his skill I had the upper hand with my enhanced durability and speed. I crouched down low as his foot swept past the area my upper body would have been in, grabbing the fallen arrow and taking a swipe towards his head as I stood. As he leaned back to avoid the attack and threw off his center of gravity I pushed him back with a hard stomp kick between the ribs and into the company of two Hydra agents that had made their way to the scene.

I had a little ways to go to catch up to the fighting giants now. They'd managed to move off to the west and slightly downhill while I'd been busy. A glimpse of fiery red hair caught my eye as Black Widow decided to engage, standing between me and my target just as her partner had done. I caught her fist with my own hand, stopping just shy of crushing the bones as a current of electricity rendered my arm momentarily useless and it dropped to my side.

"You don't know what you're doing. You and Dr. Banner were close before you ended up with Hydra." She grabbed for my injured arm while the other tingled from the shock, twisting so that my arm rested on her shoulder as she prepared to throw me much like Eric had done many times. The response was almost a reflex now as I moved my arm despite the lack of feeling and hooked it under her leg, flipping her instead.

I closed and opened my hand, shaking it to get the feeling back as she caught herself and gained some distance by turning her momentum in a turn over. "And I'm supposed to believe you? The famous Black Widow? A former agent of SHIELD?" The truth is I didn't know what to believe, but I wasn't going to let it show. I knew I had orders. I knew the consequences of failure. And I knew that if we could subdue the Hulk some of my most recent questions had a chance of being answered.

She shook her head at my response, moving in once again to attack. Unlike her partner, she was much quicker and better prepared for hand to hand combat. I would have had the upper hand had it not been for the small discs she'd pulled from her belt and managed to attach to me. The pain was sudden and intense, but then I was numb before I hit the ground as my limbs failed me.

I was still awake as I laid there waiting for the feeling to return to my body. Small rocks began to jump up from the ground and I could hear the trees closest to us crack and come crashing down. Romanoff's gloved hand clasped my shoulder and I was turned over as she raised a fist to either knock me out or finish me off.

Before her fist came down, a much larger green hand pulled her off of me and that was all I could see until the equally large form of Madman came running over me in pursuit of the Hulk. Had the Hulk really just pulled his own teammate off of me? What good would that do unless he'd thought that maybe she'd been in danger of being trampled? I felt the pins and needles all over as my body finally came to, allowing me to sit up and take in my surroundings.

"You think _you_ can save her?" Madman shrank, quickly morphing into a form smaller than his original. He took on the frame of a woman with long, curled hair and hazel eyes.

I recognized the woman who'd appeared as Dr. Banner's mother. She'd been dead for years, but Dr. Sterns or maybe it was Madman that was able to recreate her image and change his form to match. Despite the shift happening right before him, the Hulk still paused, mesmerized by the game being played.

"Or are you just trying to make up for the guilt?" Just as quickly as she appeared, she was gone and replaced by a Dr. Banner lookalike. His tone was harsh and full of resentment. Slower this time, he shifted again into a slightly larger man, somewhat resembling his last form. Dr. Sterns was now taking the form of Brian Banner. "This is all because of you."

At that the giant snapped out of his daze, angered once again. Dr. Sterns managed to dodge the large foot that came stomping down and grew until he was Madman once more. "You had this one chance and you couldn't see the opportunity I was handing you."

I could tell that the Hulk was still shaken by what he'd seen. That must have been the plan I was supposed to pick up on. This was my way to get close. Rolling to my feet, I ran towards the giants that were now deadlocked. I stopped short, close enough to reach my target and yet I didn't move. My inner turmoil was enough to make me hesitate. This was someone's life. I didn't even have all of the facts and I was expected to help end this person's existence because they were deemed a threat if they didn't accept our offer.

I looked up to the Hulk as I reached forward, suddenly feeling a sort of déjà vu. We were in a clearing of a forest, just the two of us. It was a fleeting thought, maybe it'd been a dream of mine, but it was enough for me to question myself again. Maybe I had known this person before. Why would I question my actions so much otherwise? He'd now had two chances to crush me and it didn't seem to cross his mind once.

"Hydra has no room for those who question orders. I'll put you out of your misery too." With a twist Madman knocked the Hulk off balance and managed to send him sliding off to the side. Faster than I could react a flash of red swung in my direction, knocking me off of my feet and sending me in the opposite direction until my body slammed into a tall tree. There was a burst of light upon impact and then nothing.

_"If you get knocked down, you've got to get up quickly. It doesn't matter how much it hurts. If they think you're weak, they'll give you a reason to stay down." Eric helped me to the nearest chair. The room had become very familiar to me, especially when the lessons here didn't sink in as quickly as expected._

_ "You can't really win in that situation, can you? If you get up, they could continue. If you don't get up then you still lose." I sighed and took the ice pack he'd made along with a piece of gauze, applying them across my cheek._

_ "Not really. It's more about being strong to the end. Hydra doesn't like hesitation or weakness." He knelt down and began to pull the boot from my left foot in what I could only assume was gentle in his opinion._

_ I pulled away from his prying hands as he poked at my swollen ankle, "I'll wrap it up when I get to my room. I just don't trust myself with stitches." There was an ugly bruise in the shape of a partial boot print beginning to form as a reminder of my most recent lesson._

_ "Alright, just need to get some ice on it at least." He reached for the remaining ice pack and a wrap to secure it to my foot. After he'd finished with my ankle he stood, moving around the room to clean up and retrieve the materials needed to stitch up the wound on my cheek._

_ "No mercy, huh?" Dr. Sterns was leaning in the doorway, "I'll finish up here, go on and grab something to eat. I've got a job for you later." He nodded towards Eric who returned the gesture and exited the room._

_ The blonde brought a tall chair over and pulled on a pair of gloves before seating himself next to me, gesturing for me to remove the ice pack. "You really don't have to do this, Dr. Sterns." I removed the gauze and ice, watching from the corner of my eye as he took a closer look._

_ He smiled as he began to dab at the wound to clean it off, "I want to make sure you're doing alright here. This is just the sort of thing I thought would happen if we were rushed." He sighed, carefully finishing up as he reached for the needle next, "I know things are tough now, but it'll all work out for the better in the end, I promise." He assured._

Everything was a blur, all of the colors just as bright as I last saw them, but with no definition. I allowed my eyes to close again until my head stopped swimming, trying again to make out the world around me once the feeling passed. My entire body protested painfully as I tried to prop myself up on my hands, threatening to fail me. Dr. Sterns never once did anything other than lend a helping hand when I was trying to work through some sort of inner turmoil or struggle. The thing he'd become, Madman, I didn't know. Was that really how my mentor had felt all along or was this new form thinking completely on its own?

Shaking at the thought of another attack, I looked around. My nerves, particularly the ones along my back were screaming for me to stop moving. Every breath intensified the pain around my chest and ribs causing me to limit the amount of air I took in as I attempted to lessen the discomfort. The ground shook as a set of too large footsteps approached, sending fresh waves of pain through my body that so desperately wanted to slip back into unconsciousness.

The Hulk stopped in front of me, looking disheveled with dirt and thick greenish blood smeared all over. I couldn't help flinching away from him, squeezing my eyes shut when he leaned in closer. They opened a moment later when I felt his fingertips press against my wounded arm. His eyebrows were furrowed with a look of question almost as if he were asking if I was alright. I placed my hand over his, prepared to at least attempt to push his away in case he suddenly remembered that he should probably crush me.

My nerves lit up, this time with a pleasant sensation that dulled the pain I'd been in. Alarmed, the giant pulled away, allowing the pain to come flooding back. I bit my lip at the sudden return, letting out a noise of pain and bracing myself to keep from collapsing. Tilting his head slightly, the Hulk extended his hand once more towards mine and let me reestablish contact. I watched him pale, his skin hinting at its original tone as he watched me curiously. All too quickly the ground began to shake violently once more as Madman came barreling through the trees and collided head on with the Hulk, sending them both tumbling yards away.

"Nice work." Eric came into my field of vision, moving to stand where the Hulk had been. "Maybe Madman will finish him off after all." He mused.

I frowned, reminded of his frosty side that I'd begun to overlook. "You don't think he'll try to bring him in alive?"

He knelt down beside me, giving me a better look at his own battered appearance, "That's up to him. He's pretty upset though. You freezing out there just might have put the nail in the coffin." Suddenly his hands shot out and wrapped themselves tightly around my throat. He pulled me up with him, quickly readjusting his grip so that his arm was pressed firmly to either side of my neck to cut off blood flow, "Trust me, you don't want to make it back either way. I'll be quick at least."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>So I felt it'd be a little incomplete if I didn't touch on Madman's shape shifting a little bit. Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. Thank you so much for reading. Hopefully I'll have another update soon.


	7. Chapter 7

There was a loud metallic thud as a red and gold fist connected with the Hydra agent's jaw, allowing Rachel to slip from his grasp and onto the ground. "Yeah, not your standard brass knuckles, but you guys broke my stuff so this is what I've got." Tony had been able to sneak up as the situation unfolded, discarding the full suit and making use of the metal gloves and forearms of his armor.

"You should have taken the hint and gotten out of here." Eric wiped the excess blood from his lip, annoyed.

"What is not understood about Hulk? I thought that was pretty self explanatory. You're out of your league." Tony gestured in the direction of the splintered and broken trees, "You've got maybe a minute or two before the Big Guy comes stomping back this way looking for someone to smash."

"You're wrong, he's weak and Madman's got the upper hand."

"He's also _very _angry now, so…minute forty five, forty four…" Tony looked to his imaginary watch.

"Well then just in case, I've got a little over a minute to deal with you." With that he stepped over Rachel's body, unaffected by what he'd just tried to do.

The irritation managed to get under Tony's skin, making its way out in another burst of sarcasm, "Yes, I would like to hit you in the face again. Thank you." He allowed his voice to come out in a light and deceitfully pleasant way. Despite the attitude he'd taken on, he was concerned for the unmoving form on the ground, eyes lingering until he was sure he'd seen her take a breath.

Eric was the first to strike, his arm meeting metal as his attack was parried and side stepped. Behind the confidence, the genius was well aware that he had to be careful going against someone with superhuman strength. Given the extra weight, he figured he could get a few good hits in before his muscles began to burn. His reactions were slowed, but he managed to keep up with the injured agent and remain true to his word of getting in another good hit to the face which unfortunately set him up for a throw in the end.

As if on cue they heard the Hulk roar, followed by approaching footsteps. "Time's up. 'You should have taken the hint and gotten out of here'." Tony mocked.

The agent smirked, "It's over for now, but it's never that easy." He began to retreat in search of the scientist he'd traveled with, deciding to cut his losses.

* * *

><p>Bruce sighed heavily with his head in his hands. It felt like the weight of everything was finally sinking in and he simply didn't know what to do. They were finally back in the tower and it did nothing to put him at ease. There was a new enemy, they didn't know how many people had been mutated or experimented on, they had no idea where they were located, they didn't know what else they were capable of, and to top it off in another completely complicated category was Rachel in the next room over.<p>

A medical doctor had been by to look over everyone, but they'd talked it over and decided there wouldn't be a safer place than the tower for Rachel at the moment. SHIELD was gone, not that there weren't reasons to be suspicious of that considering they were still trying to figure out how many had been Hydra agents, and a normal hospital ran the risk of her running away or being attacked in some way. For now, she remained in the next room while recovering.

_"This is all because of you."_ He could still see the face of his father although it had only been a copy of the man. That had cut somewhere deep, even while the Hulk had been present he'd heard it loud and clear. It wasn't true, but there was still a part of him that believed it was.

"Bruce." It was Tony, "You've been sitting out here for an hour now,"

Looking up, he shook his head, "Things were so much easier while on the run." He paused, "Sure, I lived in fear of being found, but it was only my life to worry about. Now, it's mine and anyone who might mean anything to me ever."

"Even if that weren't a warped way of seeing it, you can't go back now." Tony made quick work of debunking his pessimistic theories, "We can take care of ourselves, but we're also a team now. Bad things happen, they don't always have a logical reason, it sucks, but we've still got to move on."

"I don't know where to start." Bruce admitted.

"Sometimes there isn't a plan; you've got to take it one step at a time." He held out a hand, prompting his friend to get up. "We're all in this. You're not shouldering this alone."

Nodding slowly, Bruce reached forward and stood up, "Thank you." After taking a deep breath he entered the room and allowed the door to swing shut behind him.

Rachel's head shot up from the pillow as she eyed him warily. Her breathing quickened to a rate Bruce was sure was causing pain along her fractured ribs. He stopped by the door, managing to keep his composure as the anger bubbled up, not towards her, but at the people who'd made her so afraid. It hurt to see her actually scared of him. She'd never once feared him until that day and he knew it wasn't really him that she feared but whatever had happened over the last two years.

"Rachel, I'm not going to hurt you. None of us would do that." He sighed, knowing she had no reason to take his word for it, but feeling as though he had to say it anyway.

After a long silence her breathing evened out, "Then why are you here?" She didn't believe him, "Why did you bring me here?"

"I came to see how you were doing." Bruce began slowly, "And we brought you here to keep you safe."

"Safe…" She repeated, considering the word and shaking her head, "After what I did?"

He frowned, not knowing how to explain it. There was another lull as he tried to think of something, anything to say. Everything he wanted to say would be overwhelming or unbelievable to someone who didn't remember you.

"Dr. Banner." She spoke up after a while.

He looked up, cringing inwardly at the formality, but surprised she'd been the one to break the silence.

"I'm not sure it means anything coming from me, but I feel bad for what I've done." She matched his frown, "I've been so confused about everything. I don't know what's right anymore."

It was a sad truth that left a heaviness in his heart, but it was a start. This could have gone worse. She could have broken down or completely tuned the world out, but she didn't.

* * *

><p><em>"She's waking up."<em>

_ My body felt like it was made out of lead, only allowing very small movements as I came to. I blinked to clear my vision as a blonde man came closer, looking down at me. His mouth moved with words that slurred together and didn't quite make it through my fuzzy brain and after a moment he repeated himself, "How are you feeling?"_

_ I tried to speak and nothing came out. He turned away, retrieving a cup of water and passing it to me. "Thank you." I sighed after taking a large gulp of it._

_ I paused, surveying my surroundings. This wasn't the hospital room I'd been in and he wasn't a doctor or nurse I'd seen before, but I did recognize the man standing behind him as a nurse. "Was I moved?"_

_ The man closest to me turned to address the nurse, "Good work. She does seem fine after all. Now to erase everything and start over."_

My eyes flew open, showing me that this time I was back in reality. After a quick glance everything came back to me. I was in Stark Tower, confined to a recovery room. As I relaxed, my eyes grew heavy once more. I'd been put on a good amount of pain medication that was making it difficult to stay up.

_I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, looking for the nearest escape route as I stared at the array of knives neatly arranged in a row along the table. There was no way I could do this. It was only my second lesson involving knives and the first time we'd used training weapons. These were very real._

_ "Are you going to pick one sometime today? The only one you should worry about is the one I'm holding." Eric was waiting for me in the open area, watching as I wrung my hands behind my back, "The one on the far right is one of my favorites." He offered. It didn't make me feel any better._

_ I glanced over my shoulder, gulping as he carelessly tossed his blade into the air, catching it by the handle and then by the sides of the metal as though he'd made a game of playing with knives. Returning my attention to the table, I grabbed one that seemed to be of medium length. It looked long enough to wield decently and yet not long enough where I was in constant danger of accidentally poking my eye out._

_ "Do you remember some of the stuff we went over yesterday?" He caught his own weapon, holding it in a less threatening manner._

_ I took a moment to think back, racking my brain for everything that I could. "I think so, most of it."_

_ He nodded, "Alright, we'll go over a few disarms and then we'll move into attacks and counters."_

_ After the first few examples, I began to relax as we moved through the material. At some point I suspected he was growing annoyed with how slowly I moved through a technique or by my hesitation to either attack or approach while he held a blade at the ready. By the end of the lesson he was obviously frustrated, doing nothing to hide his disappointment._

_ "I want you to show me what you've learned and really attack me." He was straight faced, but I furrowed my brow at the request regardless._

_ "Like actually try to hurt you?"_

_ "Yes. You haven't been taking this as seriously as you should so I'd like to know just how much sunk in."_

_ "What if I actually get you though? I'm not trained in any sort of first aid." My eyes widened at the thought._

_ "Worry about yourself. I'll be coming for you too." That made my blood run cold and I had to study his face once more just to be sure I'd heard him right. "Ready?" He placed his hand over the blade he'd tucked away._

_ I froze, my mind throwing out everything in a panic. He moved forward and only the one counter we'd gone over the most came to mind. I held in a tense breath and began to move, stepping out of reach for the first swipe and then moving in quickly. To my horror the strike that was supposed to stun him wasn't hard enough and he continued through it._

_ I didn't feel the blade pierce my skin, but in a split second we were face to face and I was terrified to look down and see what damage had been done. He frowned, glancing down just as I did to my shoulder. I could see the blade protruding from the area as blood began to seep from the wound. Someone was coming towards us, raising their voice, but all I could focus on was the widening circle of blood._

_ He placed his free hand behind my back, keeping the other on the handle as my knees wobbled. Once I was sitting down, beginning to panic, he let go and stood up, "Don't pull that out." He turned to face an exasperated looking Dr. Sterns._

_ "She just got well enough to start training, could you not try to kill her in the first couple of weeks?" The blonde looked between us._

_ "I need for her to remember next time we're going over material. I want her to train like she is actually fighting for her life."_

_ "Have you ever thought of, oh I don't know, repetitions?"_

_ "Pain is a very good teaching tool. It's how things are done here." Eric argued. "Look, if it had been anyone else, it could have been worse."_

_ Dr. Sterns didn't look any less annoyed, "Well I need you both, mission ready and all. Try and find another way." He shook his head, "I'll be lucky if she won't need to forget this to continue."_

_ My heart was in a panic and my vision was going dark around the edges as the shock came over me. My brain was trying to reason that I hadn't been fatally wounded, but the look and smell of the blood was telling my senses otherwise._

This time I woke with a start, my heart racing just as it was in that last dream. I pulled at the fabric of my shirt, stretching the collar until I could see the scar that had been left by the wound. It was a bad dream, or in this case a memory.

The door to the room opened and Dr. Banner entered. He approached the bed, pausing when he noticed I'd leaned away. "Are you okay? Jarvis said your heart rate and blood pressure went up suddenly." He took a step closer, "A nightmare?" He observed.

"I'm fine." I looked away in an attempt to hide how disturbed I'd been, "Thank you."

He lingered for a moment before he sighed to himself and began to back away. "Do you need anything?"

I shook my head. I wanted to be alone so I could process this on my own. He looked concerned, but nodded and let me be. Once he was gone I allowed myself to slump back against the pillows. It was only my first night here and I was already loosing it.

* * *

><p>Dr. Banner stopped by over the next two weeks, always asking if it was alright with me before getting comfortable and taking a seat. This time he came by with two travel cups of hot chocolate, offering one to me as he took a seat. I'd accepted, taking a sip and smiling to myself.<p>

"Thank you."

He nodded, "No problem-" Stopping there, he offered a small smile of his own instead. I'd asked him not to call me anything for now. Rachel, I didn't know or couldn't remember and with that in mind I'd begun to doubt the name Dawn as well.

"Do you mind if I ask you for something?" I hesitated once the question was in the air. Since I'd been here we'd avoided anything that could really count as a decent conversation. I wasn't sure if I could trust him or anyone else for that matter. I'd spent two years with Hydra believing these people were the enemy and in the end the ones I trusted ended up turning on me. They kept things from me and molded me for this plan, but they were all I had to go on. I wasn't sure what to think, but I needed to start somewhere if I wanted to stop being a heap of mixed emotions.

"Sure, what is it?" He asked gently.

"Dr. Sterns sort of hinted that I knew you at one point and Agent Romanoff said we'd been close before I was with Hydra…" I paused, trying to gauge how strange everything sounded.

He nodded carefully, either agreeing or waiting for me to continue.

"Is there anything left? Are there pictures or something?" There had been too many coincidences over the last two weeks. He'd brought foods I didn't know I'd liked so much, books I had a hard time putting down, and even a sketch book. I'd left it untouched so far, unsure if I could trust my expressions to be on paper, but somehow he'd known I would have appreciated it at one point.

"Yes." His eyebrows rose, but he nodded again, "Jarvis, will you pull up a few pictures for me?"

"Of course." The observation window to the room lit up with a projection, showing various files to choose from.

"Thank you."

"Anytime, sir." The AI left the projection up as Dr. Banner stood and crossed over towards it.

I paused, unsure what to make of the security system here, but I followed Dr. Banner across the room at a slower pace. My ribs and back were healing quickly, but I didn't want to push it too much just yet.

By the time I'd gotten there, he'd tapped the glass to open some of the files and brought up three images. There we were, the dates going back just over two years ago with the scenery changing in each of the pictures. I almost didn't recognize myself. It was me, but beyond the physical differences it just seemed like I was, lighter, happier almost. I didn't recognize that look on myself.

"Are you okay?" He was watching me, "I can close them if you'd like?"

"No, I-" I needed to see this. "Are there more?"

"There's a good amount, swipe through them if you'd like." He sipped his drink, backing away to give me space.

I ended up looking at each picture, trying to imagine myself in those shoes. It was hard to explain, but some of them just stood out to me. I'm not sure why they did out of the others, but it was something. "What's going on in this one?" I indicated one of the pictures dating back the furthest.

He looked at the picture, a faint smile making its way across his face, "We were in the Rockefeller Observatory. It was the first time you decided to bring a camera along."

"This one?"

"Another ferry boat ride. There was a little joke about it going back to the first one."

I went through a few more of them and he continued to elaborate besides the obvious with a little back story that went along with the picture. "Where is this place?" I was looking at the one that was calling for my attention the most.

"You actually showed me that place just after I met you and we went back that time. It's the High Line. You said it was one of your favorite places." He was looking at the picture too now.

We were standing on the tracks that had long since been overgrown. Through the progression of photos it seemed he'd become increasingly comfortable until finally in this one he was smiling as he was saying something, his arm over my shoulders while I smiled a little too animatedly into the camera with a slight blush to my face. There was nothing to explain my reaction, but I'd looked happy here too. I didn't know him well, or at least couldn't remember, but at least now he seemed like the quiet type. Judging by the older pictures he'd been the same way for the most part two years ago as well. Maybe I'd been caught off guard by his willingness to take this photo.

There were so many questions now, but I turned away from the pictures and made my way back into the bed. With a quick gesture, he cleared the screen and took up his original seat. I wasn't sure what to say so I simply let it sink in for now, clutching my travel mug in both hands now. Now I had proof. Pictures could be faked, sure, but I didn't think these were. It was making sense, all of the coincidences. Still, I didn't remember. It was going to take a lot of time for me to get everything back if I ever did. For now, he didn't push for me to talk more about it. I needed more time to work through this and he seemed to pick up on it. For that, I was thankful.


End file.
